Pole carrying, handling, and setting machine



May 21, 1957 M. M. wEEDMAN 2,792,947

POLE CARRYING, HANDLING AND SETTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 17, 195s 2 sheets-sheet 1 /L i7 /y 5 /l I /7 ZZ, Z

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VWL/ZZ Wem May 21, 1957 M. M. WEEDMAN 2,792,947

POLE CARRYING, HANDLING AND SETTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 17, 19,55 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 POLE CARRYHNG, HANDLFNG, AND SETTING MACHINE Mearl M. Weedman, Rapid City, S. Dak. Appiication November 17, 1953, Serial No. 392,553 3 Claims. (Cl. 214-6) My invention relates generally to pole handling devices and more particularly to mobile pole carrying, handling and setting machines.

An important object of my invention is the provision of a device by means of which a pole may be quickly transported to a desired location and set vertically in a hole provided therefor with the expenditure of a minimum of time and etiort.

Another object of my invention is the provision of simple and eiiicient means for supporting a pole in a horizontal position for transport and for moving the pole from a horizontal to a vertical position.

Still another object of my invention is the provision of a device as set forth having novel pole confining means which will permit movement of the pole from a horizontal position to a vertical position but which will prevent undue tilting of the pole away from a vertical position when placed therein.

Still another object of my invention is the provision of a pole handling device as set forth including a generally vertically disposed boom mounted at its lower end to a vehicle for limited swinging movements about a horizontal axis, and of novel means for anchoring said boom in an adjusted position of its swinging movement.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of novel means for releasably anchoring a pole to said pulley in a manner to confine the pole against longitudinal movement with respect to the pulley and at a point on said pole which will permit the same to be transported l from one location to another in either a horizontal or vertical position.

Still another object of my invention is the provision of a pole handling apparatus which may be quickly and easily applied to a vehicle and removed therefrom.

The above and still further objects and advantages of my invention will become app-arent from the following detailed specication, appended claims and attached drawings.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate the invention, and in which like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views:

Fig. l is a view in side elevation of my novel pole carrying, handling and setting device, some parts being broken away and some parts being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a view corresponding to Fig. l but showing a different position of some of the parts;

Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation;

Fig. 4 is a View in side elevation showing a pole anchored to my novel pole handling device;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section taken substantially on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken substantially on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Referring with greater detail to the drawings the numeral 1 indicates in its entirety an automotive vehicle comprising a cab 2, a body portion 3, a motor compartment 4, and pneumatic tire-equipped supporting wheels 5. A conventional front bumper 6 is secured to the frame of the vehicle l by conventional means not shown.

My novel pole handling and setting mechanism includes a generally vertically disposed boom 7 comprising a pair of laterally spaced tubular boom elements f5 and 9 which converge toward their upper ends land which are c011- States Patent il l2,792,947 Patented May 21, 1957 nected by brace members 10 and 11, see particularly Fig. 3. At their lower ends, the boom elements 8 and 9 are pivotally secured by means of pivot bolts or pins 12 to bracket elements 13 that are welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the bumper 6. The pivot pins 12 are axially aligned and permit limited swinging movements of the boom 7 about a horizontal axis extending; transversely of the vehicle l. With reference particularly to 3 it will be seen that the boom elements 8 and 9 are formed to provide upper end portions 14 and 15 respectively that extend upwardly and forwardly in spaced parallel relationship. Welded or otherwise secured to the boom elements 8 and 9 are bearing plates 16 and 17 respectively. The bearing plates 16 and 17 extend upwardly and forwardly to a point `beyond the upper ends of the portions 14 and 15 of their respective boom elements, and at their upper ends provide ears 18 and 19 that are connected by a nutequipped tie rod or bolt Z0, the purpose of which will hereinafter become apparent.

A tubular bearing 21 is mounted between the bearing plates 16 and 17 by means of a nuteequipped bolt or the like 22 and journals 'a pole-engaging pulley 23. Said pulley is fo-rmed to provide a diametrically reduced central cylindrical portion 24 and axially outwardly tapering frusto-conical end portions 25 that are adapted to engage circumferentially spaced portions of a pole X. The pole X is of the type generally used for supporting electrical transmission wires and the like Iand is adapted to rest horizontally on the pulley 23 when being transported to a desired location. As `shown in Figs. l-3, the pole X extends longitudinally of the vehicle 1 and is further supported by an inverted generally U-shaped bracket 26 that has its bottom portion suitably anchored to the rear end of the vehicle body 3. A pair of retainer pins or the like 27, one'of which is shown, extend upwardly from the central portion of the bracket 26 in spaced relationship, the rear end portion of the pole X resting on the bracket 26 therebetween. The pins 27 prevent lateral movement of the rear end portion of the pole during transit.

The boom 7 is locked in any one of several positions of its swinging movement by means including a pair of brace members 28 pivotally secured at their forward ends one each to a different one of the bearing plates 16 and 17 as indicated at 29, and a pair of rigid legs 3d that are rigidly anchored at their lower ends to the floor 3 of the truck body 3 by bolts or the like 31. Tubular coupling elements 32, secured to the upper ends of the legs 30, encompass the rear end portions of the brace members 28 and are provided with bolts or pins 33 which extend diametrically therethrough and through selected ones of a plurality of longitudinally spaced transverse apertures 34 in the rear end portions of the brace members 23.

Rigidly secured to the bumper 6 at the front end of the vehicle 1 is a winch 35 comprising a winding drum 36 journalled for rotation in a frame 37. The winch is conventional in nature and may be manually operated or power driven. A flexible cable in the nature of a link cable 38 has one end portion wound upon the drum, its free end being adapted to encircle one end portion of the pole X as indicated at 39. With reference to Figs. 1 and 2 it will be seen that when the pole X has been transported to a desired location for setting in a prepared hole indicated at Y, the cable 38 is caused to be wound on the drum 36 thereby swinging the pole X about the axisof the pulley 23 from its horizontal position of Fig. l toward a vertical position. The vehicle 1 is manipulated so that the lower end of the pole X will enter the hole Y and, when the pole is moved to its vertical position, it will drop into the hole. The angular relationship of the outer end portions 14 and 15 `of the boom elements 8 and 9 position the tie rod 20 so that the movement of the pole between its horizontal and vertical positions is unhindered. However, the tie rod limits further swinging movement of the pole beyond a vertical position, thereby effectively preventing accidental tipping of the pole X beyond a vertical position in a direction away from the boom 7. Furthermore, the upper end portions 14 and 15 of the boom elements 8 and 9 respectively prevent lateral tipping of the pole X. When the pole has been seated in the hole Y, the cable 38 is disconnected therefrom and the tie rod 28 is removed from engagement with the ears 1S and 19, thus permitting the vehicle to be moved away from the pole. If the cable 33 is caused to embrace the pole X too tightly to allow the same to slide into the hole Y under the action of gravity, the chain may be removed from the pole when the same has been moved to its position of Fig. 2 with its lower end partially in the hole Y. With the pole X in this position, only a slight forward movement of the vehicle is required to cause the pole to be moved into vertical alignment with the pole at which time the same will drop thereinto.

For the purpose of servicing wires, street lamps or the like which are hung from conventional supporting poles, I provide the arrangement shown in Figs. 4-6 wherein a pole Z is releasably anchored to the pulley 23 against longitudinal movement relative thereto. As shown in Fig. 4, the pole Z is provided with conventional radially outwardly extending tread-forming pins or spikes 443 which are placed in ladder-like arrangement to facilitate climbing thereon by a workman. Means for anchoring the pole Z to the pulley 23 comprises a generally U- shaped anchoring band or strap 41 which partially encompasses the central cylindrical portion 24 of the pulley 23, and which is formed to provide a pair of aligned anchoring ears or lugs 42 which engage an adjacent side portion of the pole Z. A pair of anchoring bolts 44 extend through spaced apertures 45 drilled diametrically through the pole Z and through suitable apertures in the lugs 42, and have clamping nuts 46 screw threaded thereon, see Figs. 5 and 6. As shown in Fig. 4, the pole Z is anchored to the pulley 23 at a point spaced from one end of the pole a distance less than the height of the pulley 23 from the ground, whereby the lower end Z of the pole Z will be in spaced relation to the ground when the pole is in its vertical position. Thepole Z is moved between a horizontal position similar to that shown in Fig. 1 and its vertical position of Fig. 4 in the same manner as the pole X, but unlike the pole X the pole Z is anchored against longitudinal movement with respect to the pulley 23 by the anchoring strap 41 and the bolts 44. Thus when the points requiring servicing are an appreciable distance apart, the pole Z is carried in a horizontal position wherein a portion thereof is carried by the supporting bracket 36 at the rear end of the vehicle, and the pole is quickly and easily raised to its vertical operative position upon arrival. On the other hand, when such points of service are relatively close together, such as between adjacent poles supporting a line, the pole Z may be left in a vertical position while being transported from oney service point to another. When not in use, the pole Z may be quickly and easily removed from the vehicle by removing the anchoring strap 41 from its engagement with the pulley Z3 and removal oi the tie rod 2t) from the extreme upper end of the boom 7.

My invention has been thoroughly tested and found to be completely satisfactory for the accomplishment of the objectives set forth; and While-I have shown and described a commercial embodiment ot my novel device, it will be understood that the same is capable of modiiication without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as dened in the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a vehicle mounted pole handling mechanism, a generally vertically disposed boom comprising a pair ot' laterally spaced connected boom elements, means for i mounting said boom elements at their lower ends to laterally spaced portions of one end of a vehicle, pole supporting bracket means adjacent the opposite end of the vehicle, a pole engaging pulley journalled between said boom elements intermediate their ends for rotation on a horizontal axis extending transversely of the vehicle, said bracket means and said pulley cooperating to support a pole in a generally horizontal position above said vehicle, a winding drum mounted on said vehicle adjacent the lower end of said boom, a cable Wound on said drum, the free end of said cable being adapted to be connected to the pole longitudinally outwardly with respect to said pulley to swing the pole about the axis of said pulley 'from its horizontal position toward a vertical position upon winding of the cable upon the drum, and means limiting movement of said pole radially outwardly of said pulley, said last-mentioned means comprising a stop element releasably anchored to the outer ends of said boom elements and spaced from the pulley a distance suliicient to permit swinging movements of the pole between its horizontal and vertical positions.

2. In a vehicle mounted pole handling mechanism, a generally vertically disposed boom comprising a pair of laterally spaced connected boom elements, means for mounting said boom elements at their lower ends to laterally spaced portions of one end of a vehicle for limited swinging movements about a horizontal axis extending transversely of the vehicle, pole supporting bracket means at the opposite end portion of the vehicle, means on said vehicle for anchoring the boom in various positions of its swinging movement relative to the vehicle, a pole engaging pulley journalled between said boom elementsintermediate their ends for rotation on an axis parallel to the axis of swinging movement of the boom, said bracket means and pulley cooperating to support a pole in a generally horizontal position above the vehicle, a winding drum mounted on said vehicle adjacent said boom, a

`cable wound on said drum, the free end of said cable being adapted to be connected to the pole longitudinally outwardly with respect to said pulley to swing the pole about'the axis of said pulley from its horizontal position toward a vertical position upon winding of the cable upon the drum, and means limiting movements of said pole in directions axially and radially outwardly of said pulley, said last-mentioned means comprising the outer end portions of said boom elements and a tie rod extending generally parallel to the axis of the pulley and releasably anchored at its opposite ends to the extreme outer ends of said boom elements, said tie rod being spaced from said pulley a distance sufficient to permit said swinging of the pole between said horizontal and vertical positions.

3. In a vehicle mounted pole handling mechanism, a generally vertically disposed boom comprising a pair of laterally spaced connected boom elements, means for mounting said boom elements at their lower ends to laterally spaced portions of one end of a vehicle for limited swinging movements about a horizontal axis extending transversely of the Vehicle, pole supporting bracket means at the opposite end portion of the vehicle, means on said vehicle for anchoring the boom in various positions of its swinging movement relative to the vehicle and comprising a pair of brace members pivotally secured at one end each to a diierent one of said boom elements on a horizontal axis and extending toward the other end of the vehicle, a pair of rigid legs anchored to said vehicle adjacent said other end portion, and releasable couplings pivotally connecting the adjacent ends of said brace members each to a different one of said legs.

Switzerland Dec. 23, 1913 France Dec. 13, 1920 

